Hi,how should i start? it's been so long? how's everything going on here? has anyone ever wondered  where on earth is katherinefc ?
        
       well,i've been staying at home all these days learning American accent(i also love listening English accent)and seldom search the internet,it all started from the last time i met someone online,we chatted whole night,sounds pretty crazy,huh? i posted myself in a website seeking oral English partners,by some twists of god,he found me. i thought i was doing good  in school,i can win applauds from my presentations and i was even involved in the some sort of Oxford-dictionary & me image,cuz i always take it with me for classes,i enjoy memorizing words,all in all,i was contented with who i was,until he,who speaks like a native and very naturally and eloquent,gave me a stab in my heart,which made me speechless and diffident in front of him. i was told that he spent 6 days out of a week chatting with people from all around the world,i knew there's gotta be some reason for me to meet him,so i reflected on myself and analyzed objectively,there is listening,speaking,reading,writing included in learning English,but i've been putting most of my time on writing and listening and merely speak,ergo,i can't represent myself to others who i'm supposed to be,however, we are often judged by our oral English,so i appeared rather unprofessional.  
      
    As English majors,if you can't express yourself freely and represent to people how good,great you really are,what's the point learning it? it's like people who earned money the whole lifetime but with no chance to use it...pathetic!! English is a tool to communicate,you have to use it,then inevitably,you have to practice it.   and it all begins with your pronunciation ,though we requires all-around developed. ,i'll recommend a website for American Pronunciation, {http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html } . try to pronounce it correctly with all parts of your mouth in the right position.
    
    Though we can speak fluent English,but we find it's hard for others to distinguish whether is American or English Accent,or even ourselves,cuz we are speaking both,and with some chinese accent,which is called hybridization,then you need to make up your mind to choose American or English accent.   when it comes to accents,let's take American accent for example,which is spoken in a very relax way,we have to pay attention to not only the pronounciation,but the liaisons(word connections) and intonation ,like the "t" sounds differently according to its different positions in a word,it pronounces "d" if in the middle,it's often held if it's at the end. in addition,i've been pronouncing "tn" in a wrong way-"t?n", while the "t" and "d" sound should be held. and t doesn't sound like "t" at all. after working on it,i found myself great progress in listening. the condition is,you have to speak correctly. try to record down your own voice,and find where your weaknesses lie,then try to remedy. after working specially on pronunciation,i imitate all kinds of stuffs,like VOA,speeches and people from movies,you'll find it much more easier if you get the hang of how's it pronounced ,i also sing English songs or you can try some tongue twists,and you have to recite some stuffs,like proverb,quotations and idioms, anyway,just keeping yourself talking,i'm even now speaking when i'm writing,or you can find yourself a partner or even talk to yourself. and i'm still working,it's a long process,if the method is feasible,then it's just a matter of time,but we do can sense some obvious progress :))

       I've met lots of people complaining, i'm crazy about English,but often can't put their plans into practice,or my English is very poor,how can i improve it? tell you what,there's no shortcoming but speaking(practicing)to conquer English. you have to push yourself or even "torture" yourself appropriately, "no pains,no gains", only complaints or concerns  but no actions brings no gains either. if you are crazy about English,then act crazily,or it's just nonsense!! act on your pronunciation now!!train it in a intensively for period of time and leave your long lists of English words alone for a while. If you are really nuts about English,you yourself will try any ways to ameliorate it,be active~~~~

   Anyway,catch every minute to speak,and think in English, thinking of yourself as an native speaker. speaking makes difference,and it was made much easier by training on your accent at first.